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Introduction

Trade City has had various incarnations. We started off as a traveling theatre troupe. Then, for several years, we operated an art space at 828 Pico in Santa Monica where we held some exciting art events and produced quite a few interesting plays. After that, we staged some events at various venues throughout L.A. We then took a break for a few years to pursue some other interests, and now we’ve decided to drive around the city and present our art on a mobile stage.

About Us

Trade City gets its name from a story by Italian author Italo Calvino. The story, entitled "Trading Cities 2" (from the book Invisible Cities), was the inspiration for the company's first play Carousel of Dreams. It is about the silent fantasies and hopes which travel between the people of a city through a network of glances, and momentary encounters.

The logo is derived from a sign that hung outside our space in Santa Monica. The store where the letters were bought was short on vowels, so the E, A, and I were replaced with other characters.